"I felt like I was trapped in a Ku Klux Klan rally".

The Prime Minister and federal politicians have lined up to condemn Queensland Senator Fraser Anning for praising the White Australia policy and referencing a "final solution" on immigration during a speech to parliament.

Anning has shrugged off the criticism over his use of the phrase 'final solution' during his maiden speech. Millions were slaughtered under the Nazis' 'final solution' during World War II.

Senators were heavily criticised for shaking Anning's hand after the speech in parliament on Tuesday. On Wednesday Anning was the focus of intense condemnation from MPs, including the PM.

"Those who seek to demonise all Muslims on the basis of the crimes of a tiny minority are helping the terrorists," PM Malcolm Turnbull said.

"The reference in Senator Anning's speech to the final solution is a shocking insult to the six million Jews who died in the holocaust... it was appaling and we condemn that and the insult it offered to the memory of those Jewish martyrs, just as we condemn the racism, the shocking rejection of the Australian values that have made us the successful multicultural nation we are today."

Seemingly the only politician to support Anning's words was his party leader Bob Katter, who gave a bizarre rambling press conference where he called the speech "magnificent" and said he "1000 percent" backed the senator's sentiment.

Turnbull and Shorten shake hands across the chamber after speeches condemning Anning's words

Senator Derryn Hinch said he went home and washed his hands after shaking Anning's hand after the "vomitous poison" of his speech on Tuesday night, calling the speech "Pauline Hanson on steroids".

Even Hanson has distanced herself from the speech and her former partymate, saying she was "appalled" and called it "straight from Goebbels' handbook from Nazi Germany".

Anning, formerly of One Nation but now with the Katter's Australian Party, attracted instant backlash for using the phrase "final solution" in regards to immigration.

"The final solution to the immigration problem, of course, is a popular vote," Anning said toward the end of his speech.

Anning's speech largely focused on his calls to limit Muslim immigration. He has defended his comments and refused to apologise in multiple interviews, using a well-known far-right analogy about jelly beans.

All major politicians, from the Prime Minister and opposition leader down, have roundly condemned Anning's speech.

On Wednesday, the Senate considered a motion noting Australia had benefited since the dismantling of the White Australia discriminatory immigration policy in 1973, where many senators pointedly slammed Anning. Labor senator Penny Wong introduced the motion, with Anning leaving the chamber partway through her speech.

"Think of what might be happening in some of the schoolyards in Australia today. Those of us who have been on the receiving end of racism know what it feels like. And know what leaders say matters," Wong said.

Government Senate leader Mathias Cormann also supported the motion, saying "let's not go back to something that we made the right decision to dismantle some decades ago."

One Nation leader Hanson said she was "appalled" by Anning's speech.

The Greens, the Centre Alliance and the Nationals also supported the motion, but perhaps the most fiery comments came from Hinch.

The Justice Party senator had been condemned for shaking Anning's hand after the speech, as it is custom for senators present in the chamber to do, but on Wednesday he said he regretted doing so.

"It was Pauline Hanson on steroids. I felt like I was trapped in a Ku Klux Klan rally. I want to apologise to the Senate and the Australian people that after the vomitous poison last night I then, stupidly, and unthinkingly, and I did think about it, I followed Senate protocol and I should have lined up here and shook this unworthy man's hand," a clearly emotional Hinch said.

"I just want to go on record and say I then went home and I washed my own [hand]."